by Josiah Acheampong
KEYES, Okla. (KVII) — The National Weather Service confirmed an EF1 tornado, with 100 mph winds, ripped through the small community of Keyes, Oklahoma leaving widespread damage.
The tornado touched down at 11:03 p.m,. Sunday near the intersection of Phillips Avenue and Ramsey Blvd.
It lifted an empty grain silo and either rolled or tossed it 100 yards across a field.
The community center lost a wall and suffered minor roof damage.
Most of the damage was around Polk Street where an old pool hall collapsed. The twister also lifted the roof off a building across the street.
Residents and local leaders spent hours Monday assessing damage and starting cleanup.
Henry Dyck, a resident, said he was working to salvage what he could while preparing for more rain.
“We’re getting everything out of here. Not going to get it all out today because it’s supposed to rain again. We are going to get out as much as we can. I’m just going to tear it down … there’s a bunch of the irrigation motors that I don’t want them out in the weather there. I mean, now I got to find me, you know, I don’t know, a building or something to put them in,” Dyck said.
Cimarron County District 3 Commissioner Bron Gardner described the shock of seeing the destruction hit close to home.
“Wow, I didn’t think I’d ever see it here. You know, it’s always somebody else. But I guess it was just our turn,” Gardner said.
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